III.    Structure of the CHII

The CHII was designed in a hierarchical structure (see figure 2 below).  The CHII uses a commonly accepted framework for community assessments that covers 5 sectors of the community (level 1): Schools, Worksites, Healthcare sites, Community Organizations/Institutions and the Community at Large.  Within each of those sectors there are actual facilities (e.g. an elementary school) with any number of venues (level 2) related to physical activity, healthy eating and community design.  The CHII assesses these venues and sectors across 5 domains (level 3) – Built Environment, Equipment, Programs and Services, Staff and Policies. Within those domains are multiple constructs (level 4), which are made up of items (level 5) that measure a common theme. The Built Environment and Equipment domains are assessed using the On-site assessment.  The Programs and Services, Staff and Policies domains are assessed using the Organizational assessment and the Macro Community-at-Large assessment.